PC Drabble Collection
by E. Wallace
Summary: I decided to put all my drabbles in one group so as not to clutter up the place. See, I knew not to mark this complete because another one popped up!
1. Hand Signals

Hand Signals  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
1999

The whispers followed them as they made their way through the crowded room greeting ambassadors and delegates.

Jean-Luc whispered that her original suggestion of making love on the bridge might just have been less conspicuous.

Beverly had convinced him this simple action was better than making a general announcement about their new relationship. Besides, what could people say when trying to phrase their congratulations? "Glad you're both finally _there_... um... together?"

He felt like a first year Cadet, and they were only holding hands.

He did, however, think that her wearing his Academy class pin was going a bit far.


	2. Jeanette

Jeanette  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
1999

They hadn't discussed children before their marriage, but suddenly the desire had been urgent in both of them, and the result was beautiful.

She was such a happy baby... most of the time.

When she wasn't wet... or hungry... or tired... or teething.

She was growing quickly, as babies tend to do. Crawling was good, but she was trying diligently to walk as though she knew she had somewhere important to go.

Their precious little Jeanette.

Her father had protested the name, but after one look at that tiny, bald head, there was no talking her mother out of it.


	3. Expressions

I heard a line and simply had to find a way to use it. It would have gotten lost in a regular story, but it is just perfect for a drabble.

Expressions  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
1999

"They're at it again," Will said.

"I'm not surprised that it took a wedding for her to get him out on the floor, but I admit I never expected him to agree to so many dances."

"Check again, counselor -- that's **not** dancing."

Deanna looked across the holodeck reception hall to where their distinguished captain was lost in the arms of his flame-haired new bride.

Waves of scarcely controlled emotion rolled over her, and she quickly raised her mental shields.

"Oh, my...!" she said, fanning her face.

Will smirked. "That's what I call a vertical expression of a horizontal intention!"


	4. Focal Point

Focal Point  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
1999

He loved everything about his wife, his Beverly.

The aesthetic things -- compassion, intelligence, wit -- he praised for all to hear.

His admiration for her physical attributes he kept strictly to himself.

Flaming hair like silk brushing his face or chest, sapphire eyes piercing his soul and melting his heart, luscious mouth driving him mad with kisses or incensing him with words.

But two things garnered the most attention.

He enjoyed watching them move -- clothed or unclothed...

...their satiny skin under his hands...

...their muscled strength wrapped around him.

Yes, Jean-Luc Picard was most definitely a leg man.


	5. Valentine Memory

Valentine Memory  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2000

She would always remember that Valentine's Day. The day she knew for certain that she was in love with him.

She remembered the tiny details -- decorations of Cupid with his bow and arrow; the band that alternated between romantic violins and sensuous saxophones; he in his dress uniform; her own midnight blue gown with her fiery hair styled in a cascade of sausage curls.

He was proper and polite, just attentive enough. She caught one or two undisguised looks, but he never spoke a word out of turn, never revealed his own true feelings.

So she married Jack instead.


	6. Betrayed by the Stars

Betrayed by the Stars  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2000

Beverly never looked at the stars now.

Jean-Luc would forever be the stars to her, and he was gone.

Duty postponed their wedding twice. When he said "One last mission" the third time, he was prophetically correct.

She left Starfleet without looking back, cutting ties with everyone from that part of her life.

When he shall die,  
Take him and cut him out in little stars,  
And he will make the face of heaven so fine  
That all the world will be in love with night...

Damn Shakespeare, the world, the night.

Jean-Luc was dead and so was her heart.


	7. Too Darn Hot

Thanks to Cole Porter for the title and the very loose framework.

Too Darn Hot  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2000

The atmosphere was oppressive, even at night. The Aru'te thrived in the humidity, but the Federation contingent was suffering mightily.

Limp wisps of hair fluttered as his companion fanned herself, but the breeze created was too little too late.

The expanse of skin revealed by her near backless dress should have been enticing, however, as he watched a bead of sweat trickle slowly downward, Jean-Luc Picard noted his reaction to the sight with a mixture of relief and dismay.

He had never believed the day would come when he would not be in the mood to fantasize about Beverly Crusher.


	8. For The Man Who Has Everything

For The Man Who Has Everything

Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2000

The Captain fixed her with a challenging stare, and she closed her mouth without speaking.

"Dismissed," was all he said before he left the room.

Riker turned immediately to the doctor. "Well, _that_ was interesting."

"What?" Blue eyes batted innocently.

"I was expecting an argument over that last set of orders. Instead, with one look from him, you meekly agree to everything. I can't remember the last time that happened."

"A similar incident has occurred annually for the last eight years," Data interjected.

"Don't you realize what day it is, Will?" Deanna smiled knowingly.

Beverly grinned, too. "It's his birthday."


	9. Burning Bright

Burning Bright

Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2000

"Jean-Luc, exactly what is this... aversion... you have for my clothing?"

"I wouldn't call it an _aversion_."

"No? What _would_ you call it when you've gone from ripping it off to setting it on fire?"

His gaze dropped guiltily to the charred scrap of silk dangling from her fingers.

"Beverly, I didn't aim for the candle."

"Is that going to be your 'explanation' the day a red flag pops up on the ship's stores report and during the next _staff meeting_, Data is compelled to ask why I have to replicate a new wardrobe of underwear nearly every two weeks?"


	10. Ship's Stores

Someone requested a certain kind of sequel to 'Burning Bright'. This is it.

Ship's Stores  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2000

"Captain, a supply record irregularity has recently come to my attention."

Data's expression was so innocent.

Beverly's stomach sank as a telltale blush crept up her cheeks on a steady march from her collar to her hairline.

"It's a glitch, sir," Geordi explained. "I should be able to track it down easily."

"And what is the nature of this glitch, Mr. Data?"

"We are as yet unable to determine why an unusual quantity of women's clothing has seemingly been ordered from your replicator in the last six weeks."

"Women's clothing?" Riker smirked.

"Underwear, commander. I believe the term is panties."


	11. Bitter

There's always room for P/C, even if it is a bit maudlin.

Bitter  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2001

She couldn't tell whether it was by accident or design, the way his kiss fell on the corner of her mouth rather than her cheek.

It wasn't the first time he had kissed her, but of all those kisses, this was the only one she had never wanted.

A farewell kiss as he left for Ba'ku and Anij.

They had shared a last breakfast together then she made up a fictitious surgery to avoid having to see him off in the transporter room.

The taste of his kiss lingered on her lips... a bitter taste.

As bitter as her tears.


	12. Sonnet 57

I knew that Shakespeare quote a day calendar was going to come in handy.

Sonnet 57  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2000

It was the perfect seduction he had always dreamed it would be. And he'd had over a quarter century to dream.

Candles, wine -- and a threat than any interruption of the evening could be a court-martial offense.

Perfect from inspiration to implementation to conception.

Yes, conception.

That's why he didn't mind her crushing his hand as she rode out the final contraction that delivered their daughter.

Now he had two beautiful women to dote upon.

Since Beverly was locked into the 2 am feedings, he had sworn to be on diaper duty afterwards unless the ship was under attack.

===========================================  
Being your slave, what should I do but tend  
Upon the hours and times of your desire?  
I have no precious time at all to spend,  
Nor services to do, till you require.

Sonnet 57  
William Shakespeare  
===========================================


	13. Temptation

Temptation  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2001

Once Beverly discovered that his two greatest fascinations were her legs and her hair -- in that order -- she began to taunt him.

Thoroughly enjoying the show he didn't know was being given just for him, it took Jean-Luc two weeks to realize that her hair had somehow become 'connected' to her hemline during their off duty time together.

When her hair was down, her legs were covered by long skirts. When her hair went up, so did her skirts.

Confronted, she defended herself.

"Legs or hair, Jean-Luc. A man your age can't handle both at the same time."


	14. Ghosts

Ghosts  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2001

The housekeeper was an hour late that morning. It wouldn't have mattered if he'd been an hour early. The only thing that could be done was to begin making the necessary calls.

It was impossible to tell which of them had gone first, but the general consensus was that after nearly 50 years together, the one left behind simply hadn't wanted to go on alone.

Both passings had been peaceful and painless.

In future years, their children and grandchildren would swear they could hear her lilting laughter throughout the house, echoed by his deep baritone... as it always had been.


	15. Symbol

Symbol  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2001

They seemed to think he envied her hair because he hadn't much of his own.

It wasn't envy.

They didn't know that he saw her auburn mane as the symbol of Beverly Crusher's very soul.

Vibrant yet soft... a wild, anxious tangle... a sensuous riot of curls... a calm, smooth wave.

To him, it was the visible flame of her spirit, her caring, her devotion, her love, her passion.

Jean-Luc Picard had lived a good portion of his life hoping that flame would one day burn for him.

He would go on waiting, always waiting.

As long as it took.


	16. Vision For Eternity

Vision for Eternity  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2002

Two miscarriages had made a third pregnancy high risk and inadvisable.

Months spent in bed being waited on by dozens of concerned friends -- when they could get past her over-zealous husband -- were the only way she made it to term.

Beverly knew the truth before the monitors sounded. It would take a miracle to stop the hemorrhaging, and she'd already used up her ration of those.

Oblivious to the medical staff swarming around her, she turned her head to look at Jean-Luc.

Jean-Luc... holding his son.

It was the image she wanted to take into eternity with her.


	17. Unkempt

Unkempt  
By E. Wallace  
2003

The brush tugged at a knot, and Beverly carefully pulled the soft bristles through the tangle. 100 strokes wasn't her usual routine, but it always took a little extra to repair Jean-Luc's 'handiwork'.

This is my dream,  
It is my own dream,  
I dreamt it.  
I dreamt that my hair was kempt.  
Then I dreamt that my true love unkempt it.

The poem had always reminded her of him.

He had a never ending, tactile fascination with her hair. Touching, stroking, clutching, releasing, raking it through his fingers, shivering as it caressed his skin.

It was worth the extra work.

**********

My Dream  
By Ogden Nash

Poetry in Motion is a program by the Poetry Society of American in which urban mass transit companies put up posters in buses and trains. I saw this one on the way to a hockey game.


	18. Subterfuge

I wrote this in exactly 100 words, no changes, no edits. I say this not to brag but because I'm stunned by it myself.

Subterfuge  
Drabble  
By E. Wallace  
2010

"Crusher to Picard."

"Go ahead, Doctor."

"Are you busy, Jean-Luc?"

"No, I'm just reading."

"Then would you meet me in Exam Room 3, please? There's something I need to show you."

"On my way."

Beverly smiled disarmingly when he strode through the door minutes later.

Jean-Luc was surprised to find they were the only two in the room. "What's the problem?"

"You are," she said handing him a padd. "Starfleet wants to know why I haven't completed the crew physicals."

"Beverly, I don't have time to --"

"Yes, you do. Get on the table."

He sighed and gave in.


End file.
